AN: I don't know why, but I feel like this chapter has the least changes on the scenes it takes from the original movie. More like a recap of the climax. Though, if you still enjoy this chapter, then I'm more than happy. I just feel like this is the weakest of all chapters.
Chapter 12 - The Fame
It already grew dark once they arrived at Mount Rageous. To contrast the pitch black sky, the buildings of the outrageous place lit up in bright neon colors. To the surprise of Branch, Poppy, Trollex and Tiny Diamond, those lights seemed to reawaken the lively Mount Rageons, the inhabitants of the place.
At the moment, it was nearly hard to tell where they should go. Vehicles with the roughness and smoothness of bumper cars rode around the topsy-turvy roads, coming too close to one another in a drunken dash. Multiple Mount Rageons jumped all over the platforms nearby, bouncing around at clubs. And, of course, the flashy sighs and lights made it difficult to see where you should go, offering much of Mount Rageous' grand attractions.
But the four trolls are still trolls, so this is natural for them.
This could be the perfect home for the Funk Trolls with some influence of Techno.
Though, Bridget was right to worry about Mount Rageous. And Barb was right to say it was the craziest place ever.
If they were lucky, they could be run over by a reckless driver on the red, licorice-like road.
The height of these Mount Rageons would have made them appear intimidating, but they appeared more callous than intentionally malicious. All of them were at the same height as most adult Bergens. They were quite rubbery and lean, too, with no blemish on their faces, enforcing their rather carefree behavior. And just like the residents of Vacay Island, they seemed to invest in the fun side of life.
That didn't stop the four trolls from making through the bustling place. The arrived at the Boombox Theater, right next to the Rage Dome.
The Rage Dome should be where the Lifer Award would be rewarded. Meanwhile, according to John Dory, the Boombox Theater should be where Velvet's and Veneer's recording room was.
With Branch taking the lead, they were able to craft a straightforward plan to rescue Floyd. Had to take extra steps not to alert Velvet and Veneer. Despite the extra measures, it became a good thing rather than rushing in.
It nearly felt like a fantasy for the adventurous Trollex, who was more than happy to join along on their heist-like mission. His flight capabilities kinda made it too easy for him, but he didn't expect something like THIS to happen. It helped that they initially didn't have an idea of bringing Floyd to safety first, more focused on cracking the diamond cage.
Though, by the time they arrived at where Velvet and Veneer must have resided, Trollex was beginning to wonder what should be their first action once they found him. If Floyd was even alive.
Cracking the vents open, he, Branch, Poppy and Tiny Diamond came across a ghastly sight of Floyd stuck in the perfectly crafted diamond bottle.
The Pop Troll trapped there, right next to the gigantic mirror where he could see his body, was nearly a transparent shell of himself. Almost every part of his body was coated in a reflective, silver color, seemingly changing colors under the light. There was pink…but when poor Floyd's face softened up in exhaustion, his entire body became sickly cyan.
Strands of his pink hair remained intact, but nobody knew if they would remain that way.
Descending from the top, they all got a good look at the state he was in. Slumped against the prison wall, Floyd seemed to be trying to fall asleep. An unknown pain rattled him and moved his body around uncomfortably. His chest was heaving slowly and judging by the way he left his mouth open, he was having trouble breathing.
Branch shuddered at the sight of his older brother…this hurt. Guilt-ridden for not being there for him.
Sensing this, Trollex placed a comforting hand over Branch's shoulder. The Techno King smiled reassuringly, reminding him that he didn't know in the first place. Now, they were here to do their part.
Poppy was the first to approach the bottle, biting her lip. Her fingers couldn't stop shivering, dreadful of how much the terrible duo took from Floyd.
"Floyd…" she whispered.
Floyd opened his eyes weakly. Like his hair, they remained intact. However, if one looked closely, the color of his pupils matched his silver body. Glassy, slightly out of touch.
He blinked a couple of times at his younger brother. He was quiet.
Branch's smile was becoming less hopeful, suddenly fearful.
Though, it didn't last long.
"B-Branch?" choked out Floyd, his voice drained of energy. "Is it…really you?"
Branch took it as disbelief that he would finally come back. "Yeah! It's me, Floyd!"
With a hand pressed against the bottle, Floyd slowly tried to stand up to reach out. His words were actually in a decidedly different context. Branch tried smiling, but Floyd looked paranoid. He gritted his teeth when his legs began to tremble, close to collapsing. It took seconds, but he could press his hand against the wall.
Floyd's gaze at Branch allowed everyone to see the clear emotion in his eyes.
He appeared close to backing away, frightened, unable to tell what was real.
But Floyd was never one to come to conclusions. Not after what he did to his younger brother a long time ago.
He took a few seconds to process the image in front of him before he mustered a smile.
"Wow…" he said, close to tearing up. "You've really grown into that vest…"
Branch cracked a hopeful smile, nearly tearing up as well. "Finally, somebody gets me…"
Letting the floodgates open, he opened his arms and wrapped them around the diamond prison. Even if he wasn't outside to do much, Floyd tried to copy the same moves to return the hug.
Branch was close to breaking down. There was a barrier in their way, but they were still close enough to see each other. And after all the turmoil he endured from his messed-up brothers, it was nice to know he could be close to Floyd again.
But Floyd found himself unable to make a single tear and hated how much he couldn't show his anguish. Anguish for his torture, the loss of expressing himself and the burden he placed on Branch.
Then, he remembered something.
"But you need to…" Floyd suddenly covered his mouth, seemingly sick. Once he spoke again, his voice was strained. "You need to leave right now!"
The determined Poppy stepped forward. "No, no, no. Just hold on! We're here for you."
"No, you got to get out of here!" Floyd yelped as his legs gave way and his back hit the floor. "It's a trap!"
But Trollex reached the top of the bottle and grasped it with his hands. "Won't be a trap for long once we leave early!"
The lifting was uneasy, to say the least. Trollex puffed his cheeks as he tried using his strength to lift the bottle. However, only pulling it from the top and the fact that he was smaller than the bottle proved to be the disadvantages. Not to mention that the bottle was actually heavy, equivalent to trying to pull up a cardboard box filled with glass cups inside.
"I-I'm serious!" insisted Floyd. "They…"
He took the moment to stop and cough violently. He tried covering his mouth, but his loud coughs immediately indicated to everyone about his current condition.
And when he did stop coughing, his chest was heaving again. But it didn't seem pleasant. He was hyperventilating, his eyes darting around.
"They lured you here!" he cried out. "You gotta leave now!"
"No, I'm not leaving here without you," said Branch too quickly.
"Branch, please! Do it for me-"
Floyd cut himself off once again as he went into another coughing fit.
Branch's hair twitched. "Look at yourself! They won't spare you, too! Beg all you want, but I'm not gonna leave you again!"
A door faraway slammed open. At the same time, they could hear the power restoring from the main hallway.
"I told you BroZone would show up!" singsang a feminine voice.
"J-Just go…" croaked out Floyd.
But that only provoked the stubborn trolls to keep trying. Branch and Poppy immediately joined Trollex by stretching their hair, wrapping it around the ceiling's chandelier and grabbing the bottom of the bottle. With the hair acting as their dolleys, they tried lifting the bottle off the table.
Unfortunately, thanks to the indestructible material of the Heartbeat Diamond and the newfound stress of getting themselves captured, the bottle proved to be a challenge for all three young adults.
Tiny Diamond, being the only one who couldn't help out, watched on in worry.
"What the heck is this thing made out of?!" he exclaimed.
Poppy knew what this bottle was capable of and she tried using her fear of it to keep going. "C'mon…c'mon…!"
It wasn't enough. They couldn't move the bottle away in time.
They heard Floyd's captors coming closer.
Eventually, Trollex gave up and he lost his grasp on the bottle. Branch and Poppy gave in and dropped the bottle. The former gave Floyd one last look and the latter weakly smiled, telling him to go. The pink-haired troll looked like he was ready to give up, too.
Branch didn't have it in him to run away.
Against his desire, Branch swallowed and forced himself to shoot himself upwards, travelling right back into the vents. Seeing no other safe option, his friends followed along and shut the vent grills a little to hide themselves. They could only watch haplessly as the infamous Velvet and Veneer strut into the room, heading towards the slumped Floyd.
A familiar shape was wiggling in Veneer's hands.
Tiny Diamond gasped, but Poppy slapped a hand over his mouth to muffle her scream.
"My letter worked!" roared Velvet triumphantly, nonchalant to Rhonda barking at them. With Veneer holding the armadillo bus, there was nothing she could execute and she knew it, prancing around gracefully. "I knew they're dumb enough to believe it. I'm a genius!"
Veneer scoffed with a smirk, though his smirk seemed a little thin than genuine. "Mmn, never thought so."
"Oh, stop it," teased Velvet.
Even worse, the diamond bottles that were placed in their pearly white shoulder pads contained the other trolls. Specifically, Clay and Bruce were in Veneer's shoulder pads and John Dory in Velvet's.
Meanwhile, Barb and Guy Diamond were allocated to a single diamond bottle together, with the former repeatedly banging her fists against the glass.
Velvet didn't flinch as Barb shook in the bottle she was holding.
When he saw this, Veneer dropped the smirk. The Rock Queen was LIVID and he didn't want to live with that kind of person.
"Are you…sure you're sure about this?" he asked anxiously.
Velvet's response was to flip her ponytail confidently. "Of course, I'm sure! We now got enough to make it through the night!"
Rhonda responded by barking back and landing a bite on Veneer's fingers. The brother of the duo shrieked, nearly dropping her.
"Ugh, put her in the closet!" ordered Velvet, annoyed.
Without waiting, Veneer was swift to open the closet door and slam Rhonda right into the room before shutting it. Too swift. Velvet didn't check up on his likely injuries.
All four hiding trolls glanced at each other, concerned.
Velvet's attention was already drawn to the diamond bottle she was holding. "Now, what to do with you two…?"
Barb roared as she slammed her fists against the cage's wall, snarling at Velvet. She was growing tired from the constant fighting back, but damn, Velvet and Veneer were powerful! Even after unleashing her anger previously, it turned out that it wasn't enough to break right out, no matter how much Barb denied it out of disbelief.
"If you steal a piece of their souls, I swear to God…" Barb growled.
"Hmm, nah, not gonna be a rockstar tonight," said Velvet darkly. "Not looking for you. Or the glittery man."
Both Barb and Guy Diamond screamed as Velvet recklessly tossed their diamond cage onto the desk. Right next to Floyd. They got a good glimpse of the terrifying condition he was in before Velvet picked him up.
"But your style is still my style," said Velvet. "So, I'm gonna go with all four members of BroZone."
Floyd was close to dying, but Velvet was insistent on using the last of his talents. Placing him into the last empty pocket of her shoulder pads, it became clear to Branch, Poppy and Trollex of how cruel Velvet was willing to become, all for an award. If it was true that Velvet orchestrated BroZone to come here together, that meant she did all of this with no hesitation.
The thought of so seemed to crush Branch's spirit from the inside.
John Dory, Spruce and Clay gasped upon recognizing the imprisoned Floyd. All three of them cried out his name in unison. The sound of them brought some comfort to Floyd. He managed to open his eyes just a little to gaze at them warmly.
It slowly turned to despair and Floyd lowered his head. "No, no, no…they got you, too…"
"We would have been here sooner, but we had to take a short break," said John Dory sheepishly.
"You're the one who parked in the spot marked 'Reserved for Brozone'," groaned Clay. "Didn't that seem a little suspicious to you?"
"Oh, so, it's my fault?"
Floyd's eyes widened. "G-Guys, please…!"
He went into another coughing fit and all three brothers held themselves back from arguing again. At that moment, Veneer took the opportunity to regain his thin smirk and chuckled.
"They're even cute when they fight!" he cooed. "Fight some more! We need all that energy."
Guy Diamond sighed. "You pathetic piece of…"
"C-C'mon, Veneer!" pleaded Floyd. "You're better than this."
Veneer's smirk faltered briefly. "Well, thank you!"
"I really don't see why you're so upset," said Velvet, stroking her chin. "We're putting your talent to good use. For ONCE. Aaaaaaaand…" She exaggerated that word by elastically bending backwards, clearly too proud of herself. "...you get to spend the rest of your miserable lives with your brothers! Not so miserable now. I mean, you're welcome!"
John's face turned to a color nobody could identify. "Well, thank you for 'trying' to pick us back on our feet."
"I believe you were trying to say 'thanks for not letting our talents go to waste anymore, Velvet and Veneer!'" crowed Velvet.
"Um, Velvie?" asked Veneer. "What about the other two? We probably don't need them since we got BroZone here? Perhaps?"
Velvet dismissed her brother's worry. "Nonsense, dummy. You can't waste your resources! I mean, every Troll we collected is too valuable to throw away!"
Barb stomped her foot. The desk rattled, but the prison barely cracked.
"You'll pay for this!" she screamed.
"Correction: we got paid for this." Velvet twirled on her heel delicately, turning to her brother. "Now, put your game face on, Veneer! Let's go autograph some butts!"
Veneer barely moved when Velvet walked away. He slowly mustered up a confident grin, but it was clear it wasn't working.
"Oh, yes!" he squealed, feigning eagerness. "I'll grab my butt marker!"
The air was still heavy when Veneer made his departure. The room was quiet for a while. Barb kicked the wall one last time before dropping down in despair. Guy Diamond pressed his hands against the wall, stunned. From what they could see so far, those two were not only petty, but they were pretty persistent in stealing the talent and life of others for this.
"Crap balls…" remarked Poppy, processing the scene in front of them.
Nobody hesitated to drop down from the vents and land on the desk.
"Barb…" started Branch.
Barb jumped back up, suddenly regaining her perkiness. "Oh, there you are!"
"Are you alright?" asked Trollex, swarming around the cage.
"We're fine," said Guy Diamond, twiddling his thumbs. "Could have been better…"
"Sorry, we can't break you out from there," said Branch. "Can you walk?"
Barb and Guy Diamond glanced at each other. They didn't consider that, though the entire time, they were caught in Velvet's firm grasp. With a quick nod, they tried running forward and the diamond cage shifted slightly.
Fortunately, unlike last time, Barb's more advanced strength and willpower were enough to make the bottle roll over, moving a little forward.
Still, it was tough going, even without the presence of danger around.
"Geez, this is much harder than rolling in a hamster ball!" she said.
"Is it possible?" asked Poppy. "We had trouble lifting Floyd's prison."
"Trying to!" informed Guy Diamond, using his hands to push the bottle forward. "We're not prepared for this…"
Sure enough, they were able to make much movement in the bottle that it eventually dropped from the desk and landed on the floor. Both trolls stumbled slightly at the rough landing, but they didn't seem worse for wear. In fact, they kept going, rolling the diamond prison around.
Branch, Poppy, Trollex and Tiny Diamond joined them on the floor, now heading towards the closet.
Trollex hovered over the rolling prison, looking down. Despite the bottle not exactly being round, it gradually became less of a problem for Barb and Guy Diamond. They looked dead-set on making it out from the other side.
Barb even looked a little different. Trollex couldn't put his finger on it, but…
"You know, purple does make you look good," Trollex commented randomly.
"Hold onto that thought," said Barb casually. "I haven't order my drinks yet."
"Not gonna lie, dude." Guy Diamond paused, taking a huge sniff of the place. "This is much more fun than I thought it would be."
"Oooh, can I come inside?" asked Tiny Diamond.
"No."
They opened the closet door and were greeted with Rhonda enthusiastically barking back at them. But that wasn't all. A hairball-like creature, seemingly made from frizzy paper strings, was right next to her. However, her hair looked like it could fall apart. She was untidy, stained and in need of medical care.
When she saw them, her bloodshot eyes widened in fear.
Poppy felt sorry for the little girl. "It looks like you need a hug."
"OK, now, whose sibling is this now?" asked Tiny Diamond.
Crimp stared at the colorful trolls in front of her. At first, she was wary.
But then, it clicked to her that they were actually here to stop Velvet and Veneer. The trolls who could put up a fight against her tormentors.
Should she be scared?
Certainly.
However, Crimp no longer wanted any part of Velvet's and Veneer's pettiness.
She shot upwards, threw Rhonda out of the closet and got up and close to the tiny creatures in front of her.
"Y-You have to stop them!" she pleaded. "We have to stop them!"
"We're trying to," remarked Branch, leaning back.
"No, you don't get it. BroZone aren't the only trolls they'd used!"
The entire room froze upon hearing those words. It was uncomfortable enough with Velvet's and Veneer's ruthless condescendence, but this confirmation?
Suddenly, the gold and glammer in this dressing room didn't seem so friendly.
Poppy was the first to cough out a word in her shock. "What?"
Crimp placed her hands over her mouth. They didn't know? She thought that they would take signs of trolls disappearing left and right. Should she tell them? They were just…standing there, waiting for her to make an answer. For a moment, she was hesitant to speak. She wanted to lock that door and never be hurt again…
But, no. Now was the time to make things right before Velvet and Veneer could finally escape their troubles. Besides…these guys deserved to know the truth.
Crimp took a shaky breath and composed herself the best she could. "F-Floyd made it past the previous ones. Velvet and Veneer were doing this for…two years or so. I don't know since they hired me a year ago. None of their victims made it past a month. V-Veneer does want to stop, but Velvet…"
She trailed off. It was enough. As she lowered her head in grief, she didn't notice the reactions from the other trolls.
Branch was having a full-body spasm, struck with the realization that Floyd could have died early like countless others.
Poppy and Trollex were flabbergasted. How could those Mount Rageons keep a pretty face when their methods were straight-up ugly?!
Guy Diamond's face was growing paler than his silver coasting, imagining what the previous victims went through.
As for Barb…?
"You're telling us that this has been going on for two years?" she droned robotically.
Internally, she was trying to hold it from within. She felt like a volcano ready to blow.
Crimp shook her head. "Yes! We must make haste before they activate my invention to its maximum level! I don't care what they'll do to me! I knew a rescue party would eventually show up for Floyd!"
Trollex looked at Barb and she looked back.
A new fear came to mind: all four members of BroZone could be vaporized in mere seconds if they didn't make it in time. From how adamant Velvet was, she and her brother might not hold back during the Lifer Award ceremony.
They wasted no time in getting Rhonda back up and running. Since they couldn't fit Crimp inside, they trusted her to find a way to outsmart Velvet and Veneer and use any hard evidence to expose them. For now, the trolls could only chase after the sibling popstars to save Branch's brothers.
They found Velvet and Veneer arriving at the Rage Dome and were surprised by how small the place's entrance really was. Even though it was gigantic enough to form a fancy gathering, nobody was sure where the stage performances would take place at. The golden pyramid on top of the tall red tower was already crowded with Mount Rageons, all anticipating their idols to arrive on the red carpet.
As Rhonda got close, they found the terrible duo basking in the spotlight, the flashes of flying star-shaped cameras and the cheers of their many fans. It felt a little sickening seeing them being THIS proud when they got four hostages in their suits.
Speaking of which, the siblings were dressed for the occasion. Matching fingerless gloves, crimson dresses and high-heeled boots. Their outstanding green hairstyles changed, too. Veneer simply had the back of his hair loose and styled to appear like a mullet. Meanwhile, Velvet went extra on her long hair in multiple curls.
Judging by Velvet's rapid posing compared to Veneer's gentle autograph signing, Velvet was already taking the attitude of her wild hairstyle.
The two siblings' confidence broke when Rhonda jumped onto the staircase before them, barking loudly. All Mount Rageons gasped and the music in the background was cut short.
Already mad, Branch used the emergency door on the ceiling to pop his body right through.
"Velvet and Veneer!" he demanded. "Give me back my brothers!"
Followed by Poppy popping up by Branch's side. "Yeah! What he said!"
Velvet and Veneer were nearly lost for words. One look through the front mirror and they could see Trollex glaring at them. The crowd was starting to mutter. Though, Velvet regained her confidence by scoffing. The people in front of them were just small!
"You don't know what you're talking about, troll," scoffed Velvet.
"You're stealing BroZone's talent, you phonies!" shouted Poppy.
The audience around them gasped.
However, Velvet was quick to counter. "How? Huh, how?!"
"We have evidence!" sang Guy Diamond's voice in autotune. "Exhibition A!"
The side door opened and it was big enough for Barb and Guy Diamond to roll themselves out. Still trapped in the diamond bottle, they pushed it and placed themselves right next to Rhonda's face, ensuring everybody could see them. Seeing two trolls trapped in a familiar-looking purple diamond prison got the Mount Rageons mumbling again.
Guy Diamond proudly grinned. "See the thing we're trapped in? Rare Heartbeat Diamond."
Veneer's eyes bugged out and his shoulders began shaking. "Um…well, did you get it from a dollar shop?"
He received a lame look from Velvet and a mocking laughter from Barb.
While the Rock Queen was smirking like Guy Diamond, the tone in her voice showcased her zeal in getting to their enemies. "Sadly, no. But isn't it a coincidence that you two rich brats got your hands on a year's supply of these diamonds? The ones you're wearing?"
Velvet's face turned red. "You're wasting our time. Move, please!"
Barb's instincts kicked in and she whipped out her guitar.
Velvet suddenly froze, gasping in horror.
The reaction provoked Barb to raise her free hand up, ready to strike the strings.
Guy Diamond glanced at Barb's guitar. He looked back at the shocked Velvet.
If this was any other situation, Guy Diamond would be scared. But, no. He wasn't. It was one thing to self-destruct, but it was another thing to expose a moment of weakness.
The smirk he gave blatantly told all that he was going to enjoy this. "Do it. Make my day."
Poppy lost her composure and turned to Barb and Guy Diamond. It was impossible to break the Heartbeat Diamond with anything, but the look on Velvet's face meant something they didn't know…and, of course, the guitars of the Rock Trolls were enough to slice the top of a mountain.
The worst-case scenario, Poppy feared, would be the entire Rage Dome going down. "Guys, what are you doing?"
Sensing Poppy's worry, Barb decided to keep the threat light. "I'll make this short. Tell me, are those the same perfume bottles as the one we are in?"
All attention was drawn to the purple diamonds encrusted in the shoulder pads. Nobody could see the blurred faces inside those diamonds, thanks to the flashing lights of the cameras. However, they were clear enough to be compared with the one Barb and Guy Diamond were trapped in. A new series of mumbles arose from the crowd, skeptical and fearful.
Veneer broke into a mirthless laugh, pained from his strained smile. "Uh, no! No, no, no, no, no!" Guy Diamond tried to talk smugly, but Veneer interrupted him. "No! They're just…cute little smoothie blenders made by our rivals, well, George Beard and Nikita?"
Velvet clenched her teeth, obviously seething. "Why is there never security in the moment you need it?!"
Barb raised an eyebrow. Looks like they got them on the radar.
Guy Diamond crossed his arms. They were this close.
Branch crossed his arms, getting onto Barb's point. "Well, if you want us to drop this case, we need to check if you don't have caged trolls in them, too. We're suspicious of your methods to stardom."
Velvet and Veener wildly looked around. Their fellow Mount Rageons were becoming confused and whispering to one another. Half of them were shocked. Others appeared quite willing to agree with these trolls, nodding their heads. It didn't help that the duo couldn't hide their anxiety for long. The cameras were still pointed at them, trying to find some confirmation based on their body language.
Floyd's face became more visible in his cage when he watched Veneer. If Veneer had any color in his face, then he would blanch. The shell-shocked brother was unable to move his head, frozen on the spot. He kept darting his eyes to the suspicious looks of everyone. For once, he looked humane.
But not Velvet. The growing doubt towards them seemed to turn her fear into outrage. She clenched her teeth and grabbed Veneer's hand.
"Plan B," she whispered. "Let's do it!"
Veneer's hesitation was brushed over and the two siblings immediately ran away. Nobody had time to ask them when they hopped into their kart-styled vehicle and drove off.
"After that luxury vehicle!" shouted Poppy.
[Sweet Dreams/Mount Rageous (Edit & Draft by Livvy) - Andrew Rannells & Brianna Mazzola]
[0:00]
All of the trolls got back into the armadillo bus and Tiny Diamond pressed the gas. Combined with the extra boost and her adrenaline, Rhonda roared and ran after the duo. Velvet yanked the wheel and led to drive off the tower. Rhonda barely hesitated as she dived off the Rage Dome, following Velvet and Veneer's descent to one of the lower roads below.
[0:09]
Landing smoothly, the chase continued with multiple cameras flying around to capture the scene. But they were primarily focused on Velvet and Veneer.
This ultimately became their most significant advantage.
"WHAT'S UP, MOUNT RAGEOUS?!" shouted Velvet as she somersaulted onto the vehicle's spoiler. Fixing a headset microphone around her head, she made her voice loud and clear, all while giving the faraway Rhonda an evil grin. "You didn't think we were just gonna give you a boring, old stage show, did you?"
This caught the attention of nearly every other vehicle on the road, coming closer to the terrible duo.
"Guess what?!" declared Velvet victoriously. "We're taking this show on the road!"
All Mount Rageons cheered at this confirmation and drew their vehicles close to Velvet and Veneer, too willing to watch them perform live while joyriding.
Unfortunately, the Trolls couldn't keep up and couldn't see Velvet's growing grin before multiple vehicles blocked them. Before long, the gradually loud music reached a crescendo and they knew that Velvet and Veneer would activate their shoulder pads to gain BroZone's talent.
"Is there an opening around here?" asked Branch, biting a fingernail.
"Man, they got no respect for the blinker!" hissed Tiny Diamond, repeatedly slamming on the horn. "They're scorning us!"
"No, they're distracted," said Trollex, gripping one of the edges of the seat. "Get in close!"
[0:24]
That was when the singing started and they could see Velvet and Veneer on top of their automatic car. Cameras flashed all over them and cars filled with new fans crowded around them. As Velvet and Veneer rose from their seats to sing, they stood tall enough to see the chasing Rhonda. And their grins grew as they sang darkly and beautifully.
Too beautifully.
Dancing around, they exposed themselves to their chasers' vision, too happy to gloat. Their song sounded too happy and victorious to consider themselves winners. However, the lyrics they picked up on weren't just for show or flattery.
At that point, their singing was strong above the funky synths and the epic guitar riffs. They sounded genuine in their harmonies. No, they sounded delighted. They were taunting the Trolls for their fruitless pursuit of the family they held captive.
Barb growled, her fingers turning white as she clenched her guitar hard.
"Can you perhaps use that to blast us closer to them?" asked Guy Diamond hopefully.
"Don't!" said Poppy, remembering Velvet's reaction earlier. "It might not even do anything! If so, it'll just blow the entire bus up!"
[0:38]
Only able to keep chasing after them, the Trolls found themselves on a separate road away from Velvet and Veneer, thanks to the latter party using the surrounding cars as cover. Nobody could expect the ride to become rough when Branch took the wheel and wrenched it to the right. From the high ground, Rhonda fell in mid-air, flying through the middle heart-shaped sculpture. They should be able to land well on the same road Velvet and Veneer were on.
Nearly everybody was flying around inside.
Trollex was having the time of his life, whooping away with his fists in the air.
Barb could say the same, but she had tunnel vision of the terrible duo below them. Her fingers twitched against the strings of her guitar. She barely responded to the screaming Guy Diamond, trying to plant his feet back onto the ground.
"Hold her steady, Tiny!" ordered Branch, yanking the tiny glittery baby back in the driver's seat.
Poppy and Trollex immediately assisted Branch, knowing what he was trying to do. Opening the door and wrapping a rope around his waist, Branch held onto the sides of the door in preparation to jump. He wasn't alone as Poppy and Trollex picked him up and tossed him forward without a second thought.
[0:53]
It worked! They could see Branch landing on Velvet's shoulder pad. With a sewing knit in hand, he raised it high to poke into the gaps of the diamond pocket.
However, that didn't last long when Velvet saw him.
"Moving on~!" she sang, slapping Branch away.
Branch let out a massive cry as he was thrown away. Before he could crash somewhere else, Poppy and Trollex pulled the rope and safely dragged Branch into the vehicle. Once inside, Branch could only cry out in frustration and slammed his fist into the staircase.
Having an idea, Trollex tried flying out, only to be nearly blown away by the strong winds.
"We're speeding too fast!" yelled Branch, grabbing Trollex back inside. "They're still far ahead!"
"Uh, guys?" called Barb, sounding pleased. "Not really! End of the road!"
However, it turned out that it wasn't good for the Trolls either.
"Uh, what does 'end of the road' mean?" asked Tiny Diamond.
As everybody surrounded the front to see what was exactly before them, they realized that Velvet and Veneer intended to go to this 'end of the road'. Up ahead, the road curled up as a ramp and cut short with nowhere else to go.
All of them screamed at the top of their lungs as Rhonda skidded across the road before sliding off uncontrollably, plummeting to the deep below.
[1:08]
The same couldn't be said for Velvet and Veneer. They held hands and bravely leaned back, falling from the vehicle before it could collide with a nearby gold sculpture. The impact was devastating and magnificent as the siblings dived through the glitter and gold showering all over the air. Not to mention that the flying cameras were still on them.
They grabbed the cameras and descended closely to the nearby kinetic river, where one of their prized yachts floated across. Knowing they won, Velvet harmonized loudly in glee, loud enough for the Trolls to hear.
What neither party could see was Floyd staring at his arms. They seemed to become paler despite already appearing transparent. The remaining pink strands of his hair began to turn white as if he had grown older.
Everybody inside Rhonda tried holding onto something, seeing that they would crash-land onto the red curvy road near the river.
However, one of the vehicles came in their path and the person grabbed them in the nick of time. All the Trolls froze, peering out the window.
It wasn't a Mount Rageon suddenly helping them.
Poppy squealed, overjoyed. "Bridget! Gristle!"
She opened the side door to see Bridget and Gristle, still in the same outfits they wore for their marriage. With Gristle holding Rhonda tightly and Bridget taking the handles of the motorcycle, they picked up speed and they were coming close to the yacht.
Poppy was soon joined by Branch, relieved to see their friends again.
The two Bergens were still as sunny as a lovely day.
"That was close!" gasped out Guy Diamond.
Barb couldn't help nodding, impressed. "Glad to have them on our side."
"Perfect timing, too, sister!" said Poppy, leaning forward for a high-five with Bridget.
Bridget, in turn, giggled warmly. "We would've been here sooner, but we had to make a pickup first."
She turned her head briefly to show the newcomer joining along the ride.
With Trollex's trident in her right hand and a pair of binoculars in her left hand, Viva tried her best to appear confident with a grin. Standing above Gristle's crown, she smiled down on the astonished Poppy and the amazed Branch.
Viva looked absolutely ready.
"Viva!" chirped Poppy. "You showed up!"
"Yeah, I know, right?" Viva's grin faltered, obviously anxious. "I-I'm kinda freaking out a little bit. It's…so colorful!"
"You've got a really brave sister, Poppy," remarked Bridget sincerely.
Poppy smiled. "Actually, I've got two really brave sisters."
With that, Viva slid down on Gristle's arm and joined the rest of the crew inside the armadillo bus. Poppy opened her arms for a hug, though Viva didn't return the favor yet. Still carrying the items in her hands, she scanned the entire place. A look of nostalgic wonder flushed over her, awed by what she saw.
Clay would definitely like this, she thought.
Then, Viva's eyes fell on Barb and Guy Diamond, still in their diamond cage.
"Um, w-why are they in there?" she asked.
"Don't worry about it," said Barb, grinning sheepishly. "Just a slight hiccup."
"They got more of these?" asked Viva worriedly. "How many do they have? Wait, where's Clay? D-Did they get him, too?!"
"Hey, Viva," said Branch, stepping forward. "Slow down. There's…no speed run for overthinking. It'll be OK." He held Viva's hands gently. "Just take a deep breath."
Viva stared at him for a while. Her chest was growing heavy again and her eyelids felt inclined to cover her innocent eyes from whatever was out there. The saturated buildings of Mount Rageous would have been enough to send her mind into attack mode, but it was the thought of more trolls dying here tonight…
Yet, Viva forced herself to stare at Branch. His eyes appeared pale, a little washed out. However, despite his slight gloominess, he didn't seem threatening. His eyes were soft and tender, telling her things would be alright.
The same person who told her that there was more to the surface than hiding away.
Viva breathed in, her arms trembling.
"Now, breathe out," said Branch quietly.
Viva did as he said. She repeated the exact instructions several times, only focusing on Branch. Despite trying to keep him under her control yesterday, he was so kind enough to comfort her. In her heart, Viva believed that she didn't deserve this. But Branch was going out of his way to help her.
It felt…nice. As she continued breathing slowly, her chest was growing lighter.
It didn't feel like the end of the world anymore.
But even when she could breath normally, she still felt a heavy burden on her shoulders.
"Better?" asked Branch, smiling.
Viva remorsefully hung her head. "No, I…I'm not fine for the last few minutes. Well, maybe I felt better when I stopped my people from hurting Bridge and her husband, but…I'm really sorry about before."
"It's OK," said Poppy calmly.
Viva shook her head. Her body and hair were barely twitching, staying in one place. However, the lack of stress didn't mean that Viva's guilt was ceased. With her eyes glued to the floor, a slight shadow covered her eyes as if she already accepted that she wouldn't be forgiven.
Her mind was made up from her actions.
"It's not," she admitted sorrowfully. "When you wanted to go out, I freaked out. All my life, I kept thinking we weren't ready to face outside and…"
She trailed off, walking towards Trollex. She wordlessly placed the trident back in the Techno King's hands.
Trollex, for his part, looked a little surprised by this gesture.
"I'm not as strong as you are to change," continued Viva. "It's amazing that you all did."
Trollex glanced back down at the trident and back at Viva. It must have helped her somehow if Viva, Bridget and Gristle had trouble arriving in time. However, in the end, she couldn't bear the weapon in the same way he was nearly ready to let it go. He narrowed his eyes, a little concerned, as he wondered what the trident would mean to Viva.
The leader of the Putt Putt Troll stepped backwards, slowly shutting down. Just like before, her overwhelming thoughts began taking hold of her. Making her believe that she wasn't good enough for this. She closed her eyes, trying to keep herself steady…
Fortunately, Poppy sympathetically held onto her sister's hands.
"Viva, I swear it's OK," she said kindly. "Look, our story's complicated. Who cares if it's not perfect?"
Those words seemed to light something inside Viva.
She lifted her head and her watery eyes shone in an earnest question of whether that was truly alright.
She briefly looked back at the scars left on her arms. Some of them were caused by her own undoings, her assumptions towards innocents. Her grip on Poppy tightened a little, now more firm on holding on rather than falling apart.
"And you making the choice to come out in spite of those plastic monsters: that's brave of you, more than you think," reassured Poppy. "As long as we're together, I promise you and your people will be fine."
Viva shrunk a little. "Still, I should have come with you guys. I was-" She paused upon feeling something different. "Wait, did you braid my hair, Poppy?"
Poppy couldn't help but smirk a little, fist-pumping with the involved Branch. "Learnt from the best!"
The thoughts remained in Viva's head. The projections she saw in front of her.
However, in the moment, Viva was starting to see clearly.
She didn't see shadows forming around her. If anything, the dark shadows didn't seem so deadly anymore. All she saw were balls of light around her, keeping the place warm and safe. The ghosts were no longer around and…there was nothing to fear anymore.
There was nothing to fear anymore!
With a resolved commitment, Viva embraced the hopeful future ahead and hugged Poppy tightly, unable to stop squealing in overwhelming relief. The cuddly Poppy joined in, over the moon. Both of them had the same thing on their minds: nothing could break them as long as they were together.
Even if it was quick, they had what it would take to face the unsaid challenges together.
While he still held onto the trident, Trollex smiled in gratitude and relief, happy to see Viva coming out of her shell.
Barb sighed with a happy smile. She wasn't sure whether Viva forgave her, but it didn't matter now since Viva came around to apologize to all of them.
Guy Diamond was a little surprised. He also realized he wasn't used to seeing such a quick change from the once scared and paranoid survivor to a graceful and bubbly leader of tomorrow.
As Branch stared at the two sisters embracing each other, something clicked inside him.
"If this separation is bad, then you must let them know that you're also here for them."
No matter if it was perfect or not.
Branch's smile faded a little, but only in contemplation of what Prince D meant.
[1:53]
Before he could process this new thought, they heard Tiny Diamond crying out in alert.
The road Bridget was riding on would end pretty soon. Just like the 'End of the Road', this one also curled up into a ramp and they were going too fast to brake. However, the sight of this seemed to encourage Bridget to press the medal harder and the motorcycle sped up.
"Hang on tight, Grissy!" she warned.
"Bridgey, what are you doing?" asked Gristle nervously.
"Best honeymoon ever!" cheered Bridget.
This time, their jump from the ramp was much more graceful, more epic and HIGHER. It was telling since the screens around them instantly took pictures of the epic jump. There was still a noticeable distance between them and the yacht Velvet and Veneer were showing off.
Without a second thought, Gristle stood up and tossed Rhonda as hard as he could.
[2:08]
Before anyone knew it, all of the Trolls were spat out from Rhonda and landed safely onto the yacht's deck. The armadillo bus couldn't land and only splashed into the ocean below to join the floating Bridget and Gristle.
"Go get them, awesome sisters!" yelled Bridget.
Unfortunately, Velvet had been expecting them.
She was too casual and fluid in her march towards them, grinning too wide.
As she began stomping around, the Trolls immediately scattered with Trollex pushing the diamond cage Barb and Guy Diamond were in.
As the yacht came to a slow stop, Velvet and Veneer took good control of their movements as they could just dance around with their audience none the wiser in their attacking of their new guests. The terrible duo moved their flexible rubbery limbs with ease to spin and stretch around, casually trying to grab or knock out their opponents.
Veneer was the first to snatch a Troll, namely, Viva and the first to be tricked.
It was only a Chinese Trap between his fingers.
He couldn't respond when Viva used two sticky hands to pull the diamond cages holding John Dory and Bruce. For someone who had spent their entire life inside a secluded golf course, Viva still had it in her to fight back with all the training she needed to pull this stunt. Like Velvet and Veneer, she was flexible to stick the landing with her prizes landing next to her.
"Viva la Viva, baby!" she cheered.
And with that, John Dory and Bruce didn't hesitate to join the fight. All of them headed towards the unsuspecting Velvet, who was under the belief that she managed to drive them off. She was proven wrong when John Dory and Bruce used their recovered strength to push the bottles forward and managed to get themselves under her feet.
Velvet shrieked a little, struggling to maintain her singing. And she thought it was hard for regular Trolls to move these diamond cages around. Damn, these creatures were tough!
She tried keeping a graceful smile as she rolled around on the cages, pretending that she was using rollerblades. Eventually, she slipped and landed on her back. The pain didn't bother her, but it bothered her greatly to see the freed Trolls trying to pull out the diamond cages on her shoulder pads.
Unfortunately, Veneer was around and he immediately lifted Velvet upwards, swinging her over his head. The force of the flip sent Poppy, Viva, Branch and Trollex flying out of the yacht.
However, when Velvet landed on her feet, she saw Barb and Guy Diamond rolling towards her. The former was brandishing the neck of her guitar towards the snooty singer.
Startled, Velvet jumped back.
She didn't have time to respond when Trollex came flying in and slamming the prongs of his trident into the gaps of the first diamond pocket.
Clay's cage popped out as soon as Trollex yanked the trident sideways. However, Velvet simply spun out of the way before Trollex could get to her, covering the one last diamond cage on her shoulder pad.
The incoming Branch, Poppy and Viva flew back onto the yacht, only for Velvet to lamely duck before running off.
So, for the remainder of her performance, Velvet covered the pocket where Floyd was in under the acting of holding onto her heart during her singing. The quick rush even provided her some distance away from the Trolls, allowing her to join her brother up the stairs.
None of the Trolls could make another move as Velvet and Veneer already activated a golden platform for them to shoot upwards. Even worse, as they were lifted higher, Velvet finished her performance with a high note and a high flip in the air.
Nobody could see the blurred face of Floyd, close to passing out.
All worries reached a peak when Velvet struck a pose on the platform, earning the oblivious praise from their audience.
[3:17 - End of Song]
The surrounding screens presented the terrible duo on top of the world, causing louder cheers around. Flashes and glitter showered them. None of them questioned what was happening and it seemed to hype Velvet up. Especially when the crowd started yelling for more.
"You want more?" she asked.
To the horror of the Trolls and Veneer, the audience roared louder.
"I say you want more~?!" sang Velvet with the remaining beauty in her voice.
The audience roared again.
"You know we got it! Encore?"
Even though they were far away, the Trolls could see Veneer shaking his head in refusal. A small argument seemed to break out between the two siblings. From the screens, Veneer was concerned. He was trying to say something like he was…begging.
Velvet, on the other hand, grinned maniacally before shouting in her brother's face.
Velvet looked like she would KILL Veneer on the spot.
Making up her mind, she spun around and slammed the purple button on her chest.
John Dory, Bruce and Clay shuddered at this sight.
"We have to get up there!" cried Bruce. "He won't make it through that encore!"
"Barb, use that guitar now!" pleaded Guy Diamond.
"It's pointless!" mourned Viva. "The second we barge in again, Velvet will drain Floyd until he's nothing!"
Time grew slower. In that moment, everybody couldn't deny the crushing reality, but they knew this couldn't be the end. All their minds could dwell over was Floyd dying for real. In this slowed time, Branch rapidly glanced around at everyone. He could see the fearful reactions of his brothers. They looked…humane for once without biting at each other.
All of them were worried about a brother.
All of them would be willing to give up their differences to save the day.
"You must let them know you're also here for them," said Branch to himself.
His lips tugged a little into a smile.
Prince D really got into his head after knowing him for the past two months.
He also remembered his time with Poppy, when he learned to be open about himself, no longer needing to fear the unknown. Throughout this trip, he managed to pick up some pieces of his brothers and understood them better compared to when he was younger. Despite what happened before, today, there was hope for change.
He saw it in his brothers. Even though the earlier fight soured that revelation, Branch knew that he saw likely change in his family.
He was a witness to seeing how each of them could do a lot than before.
And as an adult, Branch knew that he and his brothers could do better together. There was no need for the glimmer and glamor.
"The Perfect Family Harmony," he said out loud.
Poppy, Viva and Tiny Diamond turned to him with hopeful looks.
For Barb and Guy Diamond, they winced a little by the knowledge of not being ready yet.
Expectedly, John Dory, Bruce and Clay gasped at the thought of needing to do it now when…
Trollex gasped a little. "What? Branch, you said they were…"
"But we only have one shot now," said Branch firmly.
The anxious Bruce was a little speechless. "What?"
"He's right," agreed Clay, a little more optimistic.
John Dory, on the other hand, was sure that this would be a disaster.
"I-I don't know about that," he stammered, trying to step back. "There has to be some other way! Anything!"
Since he wasn't concentrating, he couldn't move. The diamond cage he was in didn't even tremble. All the strength was seemingly gone from the sweating and cowering John Dory.
Branch closed his eyes. "We don't have a choice."
"I-I don't think we can do-I don't think I can!" John yelled tearfully.
"John, we can," said Branch, his voice stern yet gentle. "Poppy said something earlier and she was right. We DON'T have to be perfect to be in harmony. We just have to be as we are. Together."
Bruce and Clay looked at each other. After the misunderstandings, the awkwardness of their reunions and their different lives, they were still here together. And it was their youngest brother calling them up to team together. Not as tentative bandmates, but as equals together.
After all, Barb reminded them that they could never give up on each other, even if it were for a small attribute they didn't like.
They already knew that they changed heavily and there was no problem with that.
John Dory remained still, hating the worse parts of himself.
Branch saw this and for the first time in his life, he could see his eldest brother.
He still wasn't used to seeing John this vulnerable or honest, but…it felt like he was actually seeing the real him.
It wasn't even a delusion. John Dory was close to breaking apart, too scared to move or do anything. In a way, Branch could see himself in him, the same person who went through the exact same journey of trying to take the 'safe' path. Someone who had trouble getting along with others, making the same mistakes along the way. And here, John Dory was professing his awareness of his flaws at the cost of doubling down.
But the time came now to do something right, even if it would like it could risk a lot. For the record, Branch saw that John didn't want to make a fool of everything.
It was this natural fear that convinced Branch to keep fighting for his brothers.
"I'm here," said Branch quietly. "We are all here together."
Those small words were enough to bring John Dory out of the dark. He blinked a couple of times…and tears rolled down his face again. He was quick to rub them away, though. He glanced at Barb, who gave him a soft, empathetic look. John's eyes watered again.
However, John refused to run away again.
"I'm in," he said, narrowing his eyes in determination.
"That's the spirit!" said Clay, pumped up.
"Alright!" said Bruce, cracking his knuckles. "Branch, take the lead."
Branch felt his heart skipping a beat. Yet, the feeling was what he needed to get started. Right on time before Velvet could sing.
Fortunately, they had the advantage of Crimp being around. The hairball assistant shut down the soundboard system from below and Velvet flinched when she felt her headset ringing as a response. It was the small moment of her shock that gave the Trolls an opportunity.
It was also the small moment Branch and his brothers used to make it worth it.
AN: Originally, this chapter was supposed to end with the performance of 'Better Place' and Veneer confessing his and his sister's crimes, but I had to cut it for length purposes. However, that means there'll be more space to explore these scenes!
Taking inspiration from the shared theories, yes, I have my versions of Velvet and Veneer to be involved with kidnapping multiple Trolls in the past. It also comes with the idea that they could be superstars longer than two months if they have achieved high fame to get the Lifer Award. It's a late nod to MarcellusMiro66's versions of Velvet and Veneer kidnapping more Trolls in 'The Other Side of the Storm: Part 2'. While I inevitably won't explore much of the terrible duo (yes, that's my quick nickname for them), I want to give some thought to how long they have been using extreme methods to get where they are now.
You might notice that there are some applied logic to this story, mostly surrounding Floyd's diamond cage. I thought it would be easier to just pick it up and escape. Though, I want to play with the idea of why they are unable to. That leads to the idea of those imprisoned needing all the strength, willpower and passion they need to push forwards. A little close to the Perfect Family Harmony, eh?
Not sure if the next chapter will be the finale, but I'm looking forward to explore what's next! And you'll be surprised to see what I have been building up for the last few months. Thank you for reading and make sure to favorite or follow for updates! As always, constructive criticism is welcome.
Until then, keep on rocking!